


Raid

by idrilhadhafang



Series: Star Wars Rewrites — Backstory [18]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Community: trope_bingo, Creepy Snoke (Star Wars), Evil Snoke, Gen, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Not Canon Compliant - Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 03:43:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13355778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: The raid on Luke’s Jedi Academy.





	Raid

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Unhappy Ending
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

“The Jedi are dangerous,” Snoke said.

They were already meeting in one of the more shadowy places of Yavin IV, and Ben was already afraid of what Snoke was saying.

“You have to go there,” Snoke continued, “And eliminate them.”

Ben already felt like he had been hit in the gut.

“It’s no different from your missions before, is it?” Snoke said.

“But there are innocent people there!” Ben said. “They’re not all...evil...”

“They’re all potential aggressors, Ben. Even the alleged innocents.”

“But maybe there’s another way,” Ben said. “Maybe I can talk to them. Get them to stand down.”

“Reasoning with hardened killers is useless.”

“I can try,” Ben said. “Please.”

Snoke nodded. “Go,” he said. “Carry out your mission.”

Ben did so, and he could swear that Snoke was watching him, scrutinizing him, even as he left.

***  
The march to the temple was an uneasy one. It was like a sick knot had twisted up in Ben’s stomach and wouldn’t come untied. But he would press on. He had to.

Did he? He could turn around right now — but Snoke was counting on him, and he could never —

He headed towards the Academy, and wondered if he should knock on the door. Even the very thought was enough to make Ben want to laugh hysterically. Yeah. He was hysterical. Had to be. Hysterical at the thought of killing people that wasn’t in self-defense but was a premeditated attack.

He sighed, turned back to look at the other knights, and didn’t say anything. Merely nodded. They nodded back.

The door opened, and it was there that one of the Jedi, the temple librarian, said, “What is the meaning of this, Jedi Solo?”

“I come here on orders from Supreme Leader Snoke.” Ben could only hope he sounded confident, even though he felt sick. “Surrender your academy to him, and we can avoid any unpleasant confrontations.”

“Unpleasant?” The librarian looked up at Ben with growing comprehension and fear. “You’ve fallen.”

“It’s not like that at all. Snoke’s trying to work for the good of the galaxy —’’

"Is that what he told you? Because he’s a liar. He may have gotten to you, but I’m not letting you hurt anyone in the Temple. Stars willing." The librarian drew her lightsaber, a double-bladed green lightsaber, and Ben drew his.

They dueled, and it seemed almost like it wasn’t just a duel, but a fight for survival. Ben struck the blade in half after a long struggle, and one of the other Knights threw her blade at the librarian, severing her head. By that time, others were already showing up with their lightsabers drawn, and it wasn’t long before others ran towards them, lightsaber blades drawn.

More killing. Even as Ben sliced them down with the Knights, one by one, he already felt sick. There were corpses at his feet, and when the dust cleared, when the urgency of that fight for survival wore off, he realized what he’d done.

He’d committed murder. A premeditated attack. He had done this. All of this.

“Ben?” The same knight who had killed the librarian spoke in that moment.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” And Ben leaned out the window and vomited until his stomach felt wrung dry.

He wiped his mouth just then, and composed himself. As best he could, of course; Ben Solo was not good at composing himself. Not in the slightest.

It was after they lit the Academy ablaze that he felt it. A familiar presence. His uncle’s.

“Go,” he said. “He’s looking for me.”

The Knights seemed hesitant in that moment, but obeyed.

Ben emerged from the Academy. It was time to confront his uncle.

***

Fighting against his uncle was never anything that Ben expected to be doing, but there he was. Their lightsabers clashed, and though Ben was quite accomplished, Luke had years of training on him.

It was eventually that Luke drove Ben back. There was such anguish in his uncle’s eyes, anguish that Ben didn’t expect to see. Snoke had called the Jedi hardened killers, but...

Were they?

“Ben,” his uncle said. “Please. Don’t do this. You can turn back.”

“I can’t. I’ve done terrible things — ’’

“There have been people throughout history that have done terrible things and have still found redemption,” Luke said. “Why are you any different?”

“There were so many...”

“I know, Ben.”

“Are you blind?” Ben said. "Do you realize — ’’

“I do. And I think there’s still a chance for you.”

It was so tempting. To just take that offer of compassion. To leave things behind. But he couldn’t. And what if Luke was lying to him? But he wasn’t, was he?

“I’m sorry,” Ben said again, and charged. Luke pressed him back, tears in his eyes, and raised his hand.

Everything went black in that moment.

***  
It was waking up that Ben realized he was in a medbay with no one he recognized. No one he could understand — except for Snoke.

“Where am I?” Ben said.

“You’re on the Liberator. And it is fortuitous that you made your recovery, for what it’s worth.”

“How did I get here?”

“I rescued you. Skywalker would have killed or subjected you to a fate worse than death if I hadn’t intervened.”

Ben swallowed. “Thank you,” he said. “For saving my life.”

“It is no matter. Walk with me.” Snoke said.

They walked to the throne room, which was all painted red. Red, like the color of a Dark Sider’s lightsaber. Even looking over it was enough to give Ben the chills.

“You did a hard thing,” said Snoke, “But the right one. The best thing any hero could do considering their uncle’s manipulations and the Jedi’s cruelty.”

Ben didn’t know if he believed if.

Snoke continues. “The first kill is far from easy. But in time, you’ll understand what needs to be done. Which we will do in time tonight.”

“There’s someone I want to speak to before I go.”

“Do you?” Snoke said.

“My husband. Poe Dameron. It’ll just be a moment.”

Snoke paused. Then, with a slight air to his voice that suggested he didn’t entirely approve, “Very well.”

Ben walked over towards the comm and dialed Poe. He took a deep breath; he wasn’t looking forward to this, any of this. But he had to let Poe know. He had to let Poe understand.

Poe. The love of his life. His husband of too short a time. Already in his head, Ben was cursing the idea of having to lie to Poe. If he told Poe the truth, Poe could go with him. They could bring order, true order, to the galaxy. Together. He could picture Poe, living as his favorite pilot. The man he married. Even being parted from him...

Poe’s face came up on the screen in that moment, and his eyes grew wide with shock and then relief. “Ben! Thank the stars. I thought — ’’

“I’m fine.” Though you’d never forgive me if you knew what I did.

“Where are you?”

“I have to leave.”

“For where?”

“I have to go on a mission. I don’t know when I’ll come back.” _If ever_.

A furrow appeared between those expressive brown eyes. “What are you hiding, Ben?”

 _Everything. Everything you don’t need to know._ “Nothing.”

“You just need to be safe.”

“Yes.” Lying came too easily now. Ben had never lied to his husband before. And yet lying came too easily. It was for a good cause, wasn’t it? It was just to protect Poe. Poe needed protection. He would never forgive Ben if he knew just how tainted and evil he really was. How he had killed all of the Jedi there. “They’ll likely be searching for any surviving Jedi. And you traveling with me would make you a target.”

“Being a target is worth it as long as I’m with you.”

“I don’t want you to get killed because of me.” That was true enough. Or have you go against me.

“Ben...”

“I love you. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I want you to know this. No matter where you go, where I go, you will always be the man that I love. The love of my life.”

Poe smiled, but it was a watery smile. “Ben...”

“Don’t cry.” Already, seeing Poe’s tears broke Ben’s heart. He touched his fingers to his lips, pressed the tips of his fingers against the comm screen, already wishing that he could reach through the screen and touch Poe. But it felt too much like they were separated by an impersonal electronic blue screen. Poe’s image shimmered almost ghost-like. And Ben felt a sick feeling that this was goodbye.

“I love you, Ben.”

“You don’t have to tell me. I know.”

The transmission ended, and Ben was left alone. He took a deep breath and turned back to Snoke. He almost wanted to scream, to protest, to do anything, but he couldn’t. Not in front of the Supreme Leader.

"You care for him,” the Supreme Leader said.

"Yes.” _More than life._

“A dangerous emotion. Love can cut deeper than any vibroblade, any lightsaber. Love of any sort. It’s why both Jedi and Sith fear its power. It can work powerful magic. But where you go, you cannot take those you love."

“I know." But Ben doubted that he would forget that pain, as long as he lived.

Snoke looked thoughtful. “We’ll need a name for you. Your birth name of Ben Solo is no longer appropriate.”

“No.” Ben took a deep breath.

“Henceforth, you shall be known as Kylo Ren. My right hand, my eyes, my ears. A man of balance serving something far greater than himself."

And it was there that Ben could accept it. There was nothing wrong with why they were doing this. There was everything wrong with this galaxy. But nothing wrong with them.

***

It was there in his home that Poe Dameron had to deal with the fallout. Ben was gone. And there was something in his eyes — but no, it couldn’t be, could it? After all, Ben was a good person. He wouldn’t do something so horrifying. Even the fact that it happened...it felt a lot like Poe’s own world had been invaded. Yavin was his last safe place, and now it had been attacked.

BB-8 rolled in, beeping inquisitively. Poe already knew what BB-8 was asking: where’s Ben?

He knelt next to BB-8. “Ben’s...on a mission. He doesn’t know when he’ll be coming back.” He blinked. Even that was enough to make him come close to losing it.

BB-8 dwooed sadly, butting against Poe’s hand. Poe smiled weakly. “I’ll be okay, buddy.”

And he knew that he would wait for Ben, no matter what it took.


End file.
